CPEC’s Gwadar Port harbinger of immense possibilities: FM Qureshi

Islamabad: Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi has said that China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC)’s Gwadar Port was the harbinger of immense possibilities for regional cooperation and common economic benefits.

In his address to the participants of the National Security and War Course here at the National Defence University (NDU), FM Qureshi mentioned that Gwadar Port was one of the vital components of the CPEC framework, including being the world’s only natural deep-sea port, linking the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and the Silk Road projects, and being the shortest route to Central Asia and Afghanistan.

“Pakistan lies at the crossroads of South Asia, Central Asia, the Middle East, and China. Better connectivity is therefore essential to promoting the country’s economic interests and reinvigorating our cultural and historical ties,” he added.

Terming CPEC as a flagship undertaking in regard to connectivity, he underlined that Pakistan saw this framework as a game-changer not only for itself but for the region as well.

“Pakistan is open to third countries investing in the Special Economic Zones (SEZs) being developed along CPEC. This would bring to fruition our vision of regional connectivity and common development,” he remarked.

FM Qureshi stressed that Pakistan’s foreign policy must respond adequately to these shifting trends. “Keeping our interests supreme, we must navigate through this external environment to ensure that Pakistan’s sovereignty, territorial integrity, and independence are secured and its development agenda is advanced,” he explained.

The FM further stated: “We have tried to reinvigorate existing partnerships and establish new ones on the premise of mutuality of interest, transparency and respect for sovereignty.”